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BTW, I'm a Louisiana resident in possession of a concealed weapons permit issued by the State of Florida, Department of Agriculture, which is good for 5 years. As of January 5th of 07, I can carry a concealed weapon in 30 states, Kansas being the latest, all of which have reciprocity agreements with Florida.

On the contrary, more guns do indeed equal fewer deaths. And America's crime rates, violent or otherwise, have been steadily dropping since concealed weapons carry by licensed citizens, along with adoption of the "Castle Doctrine" by the states have become more prevalent. People who are licensed to carry concealed weapons must meet the criteria. Those citizens understand that carrying a concealed weapon means they have a much greater responsibility to conduct themselves with restraint, and draw and use their guns ONLY when they or someone else is threatened with death or grave bodily harm, NOT because they get "pissed off". Those who do NOT understand this likely dont meet the licensing criteria anyway.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice:Firearm-related crime has plummeted since 1993, then slightly increased in 2005.

....and I'm sure the stats for 2006 will reflect the trend is continuing to rise....stay tuned for more details

70 Million More Guns…38% Less Violent Crime

Friday, September 22, 2006

Data released by the FBI on Monday showed that in 2005, the nation’s total violent crime rate was 38% lower than in 1991, when violent crime hit an all-time high. Rates of the individual categories of violent crime were also much lower in 2005 than in 1991. Murder was 43% lower, rape 25% lower, robbery 48% lower, and aggravated assault 33% lower. The FBI’s report came on the heels of a Bureau of Justice Statistics crime survey that found that violent crime was lower in 2005 than anytime in the survey’s 32-year history.

Defying the anti-gunners’ claim that more guns means more crime, from 1991-2005 the number of privately owned guns increased by more than 70 million.

The news media often characterize violent crime as a primarily gun-oriented problem, but the FBI’s report showed that only one in every four violent crimes in 2005 was committed with a gun. In 2005, as in previous years, most violent crimes were robberies and aggravated assaults, most of which were committed with knives or bare hands.

Recently, anti-gun politicians and activists have intensified their rhetoric over the “lack” of bans on handguns, so-called “assault weapons”, and .50-caliber rifles; gun registration, gun owner licensing, and mandatory background checks on sales of guns between friends and family members; and limits on the frequency of gun purchases, all of which they say are necessary to reduce the nation’s murder rate. But for the last seven years, the murder rate has been steady¾in the 5.5-5.7 per 100,000 population range¾at all times lower than anytime since the mid-1960s. In 2005, for example, the murder rate was 5.6.

Naturally, anti-gunners will downplay the downward trend in violent crime since 1991, and focus on the fact that the FBI’s report showed a 1% increase in total violent crime, and a 2% increase in murder in 2005, compared to 2004. But those changes are miniscule, compared to the huge decrease in crime over the last 14 years.

The FBI’s report once again confirmed that violent crime rates are lower in states with Right-to-Carry (RTC) laws. In 2005, RTC states had, on average, 22% lower total violent crime, 30% less murder, 46% lower robbery, and 12% lower aggravated assault rates, compared to the rest of the country.

As usual, Washington, D.C., which leads the nation in anti-gun laws, led the nation in murder, with a rate six times higher than the rest of the country. Neighboring Maryland, where gun control advocates have been particularly active recently, once again had the highest robbery rate among the states, but also tied for the unenviable distinction of “first place” in murder among the states. However, despite Maryland’s high crime counts, CeaseFire Maryland, the local Brady Campaign affiliate that recently released a paper demanding an “assault weapon” ban, was unable to point to any crimes in the state involving such a gun.

The FBI’s report must have displeased New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg (R). Despite the mayor’s recent posturing on the gun issue, and his self-laudatory comments about fighting crime, the Big Apple’s murder rate was more than double that of the rest of the state. Similarly, in Philadelphia, where anti-gun politicians are calling for a statewide one-gun-a-month law, the murder rate was more than seven times higher than the rest of Pennsylvania.

Adding to the reasons why voters should “Dump Doyle” in Wisconsin’s upcoming gubernatorial election, their state had the greatest total violent crime rate increase (15.1%) between 2004-2005. Murder was up 25.2%; robbery up 11.2%; and aggravated assault up 20.2%. Wisconsin is one of only two states that prohibits Right-to-Carry entirely, but in 2005, 11 of the 12 states that had the greatest decreases in total violent crime, and 12 of the 14 states with the greatest decreases in murder were Right-to-Carry states. The seven states with the lowest total violent crime rates in 2005, and 11 of the 12 states that had the lowest murder rates, were Right-to-Carry states.

Last, but not least, is good news from Florida, the state that during the last 20 years has been most often attacked by anti-gunners, for (among other reasons) setting the Right-to-Carry and “Castle Doctrine” movements in motion. In 2005, Florida recorded a murder rate 13% lower than the rate for the rest of the country (4.96 per 100,000, vs. 5.67 for the rest of the country). For the record, Florida’s 2005 murder rate was 58% lower than it was in 1986, the last year before the state’s landmark Right-to-Carry law took effect.

Copyright 2007, National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action.
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The above puts the question to rest once and for all. Again Brain, nice try, but no cigar! Now, if anyone else wants to try recklessly spinning the statistics, be my guest!

For instance. You are comparing the 2005 murder rate to the all time high in 1991 to emphasis the difference instead of showing the, albeit slight, but increase in firearm-related crime from 2004-2005.

I post a link to a government website and quote it verbatim while your rebuttal is from the NRA and I am spinning the data?

THATS RIGHT, spinnin the goddamned data! What, ya thought nobody would notice? Who the hell do ya think you're foolin? Ya didnt tell the whole story, did ya? Hell no, because that would have the opposite effect on what you're trying to achieve here, namely an alarmist knee-jerk reaction aimed at blamin guns for that "slight increase". None of the data ya cited even ATTEMPTS to lay the blame where ya obviously want it laid. And where the hell do ya think the NRA got IT'S data?...which, by the way, I CHALLENGE you to disprove! Believe me, ya cant. In short, ya tried to spin the stats on the sly, then when ya got caught, ya tried to deny it, and nobody's buyin it! Unfortunately for you, your bullschit Bradyesque tactics only work on the gullible and the stupid, neither of which you'll find here on this forum, save for one or two exceptions. You're as bad as Rosie, or Soros or Bloomberg...keep pullin stunts like this and maybe they'll give ya a commendation! Maybe Bloomberg'll make ya one of his toadies! Nah, thats not ambitious enough for ya...lets dream bigger, you aspire to MUCH more, dontcha? Hell, maybe Rosie'll let ya shave the hair on her back or pop the zits on her fat (__)(__)...would ya like that? I think ya would! Well you'll have to do better than this, though I get the feelin this is your best. Either paint the whole phukin picture the way it really is or move to California or New York..or better yet, Australia or Britian. Ive got no patience for people like you.

Al, have you thought about the innocent children that find their parent's gun and start playing with it and shoot themselves or someone else? I was shot when I was a child. Another child visiting our camp found a gun, shot it not knowing any better and the bullet went through the wall and hit me in the stomach.

Al, have you thought about the innocent children that find their parent's gun and start playing with it and shoot themselves or someone else? I was shot when I was a child. Another child visiting our camp found a gun, shot it not knowing any better and the bullet went through the wall and hit me in the stomach.

Isabella, dont blame the gun for parental failure. Obviously, guns can be dangerous and deadly in the hands of a child who isnt educated about the proper handling of them. Education should start early, and all guns should be securely stored where young children cant get their little hands on them.

Isabella, dont blame the gun for parental failure. Obviously, guns can be dangerous and deadly in the hands of a child who isnt educated about the proper handling of them. Education should start early, and all guns should be securely stored where young children cant get their little hands on them.

Al, where do you keep your gun in your vehicle, home, and work? This child was about 4 years old or younger and went into a room he was not allowed, when the grownups were not looking. The gun was thought to be unloaded, too. That was always my mother's rule before bringing a gun inside.